Brake attachment for railway-cars.



J. B. STEVENS. BRAKE ATTACHMENT FOR RAILWAY CARS. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 26, 1914.

Patented Aug. 25, 19%

Ja/mfiflzwaw; Witnesses Inventor Attorneys n5 Auums PETERS C0. PHOTOJJTHIL. WASHING J'ON, 1). (:7

w To all whom it may concern:

nNirnn s'rATns PATENT OFFICE...

aonN s. srnvnNs, or MACON, GEORGIA.

BRAKE ATTACHMENT FOR RAILWAY-CARS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed January 26, 1914. Serial No. 814,566.

Patented Aug. 25,1914.

Be it known that 1, JOHN citizen of the "United States, residing at Macon,in the county 01 Bibb and State 01 Georgia, have invented a new and useful Brake Attachment for RailwayCars, of

which the following is a specification.

The present invention appertains to a brake attachment for railway cars, and aiins to provide a novel and improved appliance of the nature indicated, which will be auto-.

matically operable to open the air line, or train pipe, should the wheels of the truck to which the attachment is applied, become derailed, or should the arch bars of the truck break, or other accident of that nature occur. Another object of the present invention is to provide a contrivance of the character mentioned, which may be readily applied to a car truck, and air line or train pipe, and which embodies means coijperable with the rails for opening the air line or train pipe,

should the wheels become derailed, whereby the usual automatic air brakes will be set or brought into operation.

, It is also w1th1n the spirit of the present invention, to provide a unique assemblage of the present to the ends above noted, and whereby structure will be comparatively simple and inexpensive, may be readily applied to various car trucks, and will be simple, practical and ellicient in its use.

With the foregoing general objects outlined, and with other objects in view, which parts will be apparent as the nature of the inven- 1 tion is better understood, the present invention resides in. thecoinbination and. arrange ment of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it

being understood. that changes in the precise taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 1s a sectional detail taken on the line 13-3 of 1. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one BERRY S'rnvnNs of the slides forming a part of the present attachment. i

In the drawing, the numeral 1 designates an ordinary or arbitrary car truck, einbodying the sand bolster 2 between the two pans of wheels.

The numeral 3 designates the alrline or train pipe, which is carried by the bottom of the car body (not shown).

The foregoing parts are well understood in the art, and need not be described at length. l f l In carrying out the present invention, a

transversely disposed pipe 4: is mounted at oneside of the truck bolsters, and is carried by upstanding brackets 5, secured to one side of the sand bolster Q. and having eyes or bearings at their upperends receiving the end portions of the said pipe 1. Attached.

to the pipe 4, intermediate its ends, is a hose section 6, and a similar hose section 7 is connected. to a T-coupling disposed inthe air line or train pipe 8, the hose sections 6 and 7 carrying the interlockable coupling members 8 at their free ends, whereby the pipe 41 may be readily coupled to the train pipe 3, the

hose sections 6 and 7 nerinittin of the 1noveb inents of the truck and car body relative to each other without interfering with the.

connection between the pipe 4; and trainpipe 3. A valve. 9. is preferably interposed between the hose section 7 andthc train. pipe 3, whereby the valve 9 may be closed, when desired, to render the present attachment inoperative, 7 are uncoupled to enable the truck and car body to be separated, oi-for other purposcs. Ordinarily, however, when the present device is in operation, the valve 9 is open. To the. ends or terminals of the pipe 41-, are attached cocks 10, the valve stems of which have the angular handles or levers 11, which normally project horizontally away from each other, when the valves are closed. The valves of the cooks 10 are arranged. tobe opened when the lovers 11 are swung upwardlylby the devices presently described.

An actuating device is carried by the truck, adjoining each rail, each of the said devices embodying a U-shaped slide or hanger 12 having its arms through guides 13 and 14-. secured to the opposite sides of the sand bolster 2. The

guides 13and. 1 1 are oi? channel shape, the i .as when the hosesections 6 and slidably engaging i of apertures 18. The butt end of a finger 19 is adapted to be secured within the fork 17 by means of a bolt or other securing member 20 passed through the alining apertures 18 of the branches of the fork 17.

The slides 12 are disposed directly beyond the cooks 10, and the levers 11 are adapted to normally rest upon the fingers 19 carried by the slides, the fingers 19 projecting in-.

wardly toward the valve stems, whereby when the slides 12 are raised or elevated, the valves or spigots of the cocks 10 will be readily and effectively opened to open the air line or train pipe. It is evident that the lingers 19 may be adjusted within the forks 17 to properly accommodate the levers 11, according to the vertical adjustments or the slides 12.

Each of the slides 12 is provided with means associated with the respective rail of the track, for facilitating the elevation of the slide should the truck wheels become derailed. To this end, a lever 21 is pivoted or fulcrunied intermediate its ends to the yoke portion or cross piece of the slide 12, by means of a clip or other bearing Coiled wire compression springs 23 are disposed between the ends or arms of the lever 21 and the bottom of the sand bolster 2, the opposedsprings being normally balanced, to hold the lever 21 in a horizontal position.

The slides 12 are disposed directly inside of the rails, in order that the outer arms of the levers 21 overhang the rails while the inner arms of he levers project toward each other, and have an open and unencumbered space therebetween below the sand bolsterf whereby such parts of the brake apparatus,

as need be, may be extended centrally belowthe sand bolster without interfering with the present attachment.

In practice, the present attachment may be readily applied to the trucks of various railway cars without entailing any appreciable alterations or expense. The hose sections 6 and 7 which may be readily coupled and uncoupled, permit of a quick and con venient connection and disconnection of the )i 3e 4t 01" the attachment to and from the.

air line or train pipe 3, as well as per mitting the truck and car body to have the usual movements relativeto each other, such as when rounding curves. The slides or hangers 12 be readily adjusted within the guides 14, by properly setting the stops or supporting pins 16, whereby the levers 21 also be readily aljusted to properly cooperate with the levers 11 of the cocks or valves 10, as above intimated.

Particular attention is directed to the fact that the parts of the present attachment, which are associated with the truck, are all carried by the sand bolster, which is carried at a practically uniform distance above the rails at all times, thus enabling the levers 21 to be properly carried above the rails without any appreciable variation.

Under normal conditions, should the ends or arms of the levers 21 encounter noninjurious objects along the rails, the levers 21 will swing slightly upon the yoke portions of the slides 12 as fulcrums, whereby the slides would not'be appreciably raised. In this manner, the arms of the levers 21 are adapted to yield slightly without effecting the positionsof the slides 12.

Should one or the other, or both of the rails of the track be broken, so as to let the wheels of the truck drop, the outer arm of the respective lever, or the outer arms of both of the levers, whichever is the case,

would be forcibly seated upon the rail or rails, so as to cause the slide or slides to be raised, thereby opening one or both of the cooks 10 and permitting the air to escape from the air line or train pipe 3, so as to set the usual automatic air brakes for stopping the train. Similarly, should the truck become derailed, the inner arm of that lever 21 at that side toward which the wheels are derailed, would seat upon; the respective rail, so as to raise the corresponding slide 12 for opening the air line or train pipe to set the automatic air brakes' The air line or train pipe will also be opened should both arms of one or both of the levers 21 be raised relative to the sand bolster 2, as will be manifest.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the drawing, the advantages of the present attachment will be obvious to'those skilled in the art, the present attachment being intended for automatically opening the air line and setting the automatic air brakes, should the truck wheels become derailed or dangerously encumbered, or should the arch bars of the truck break'or a similar accident occur. The present attachment does not appreciably encumber the truck, and is so disposed, as not to be readily interfered with.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is 1. In a brake attachment, a brake applying device, a vertically movable slide operatively connected thereto, and a spring pressed lever fulcrumed to the slidefor cooperationwith the rail. r

2. In a brake attachment, a brakeapplying device, a Vertically movable slide operatively connected thereto, a lever fulcrumed intermediate its ends to the slide, and balanced springs cooperating with the arms of the lever.

3. In a brake attachment, a valveadapted for connection to a train pipe, a vertically movable slide coeperable with the said valve to open the same, and a spring pressed lever fulerumed to the slide for cooperation with a rail.

1-. In a brake attachment, a valve adapted for connection to a train pipe, a vertically movable slide cooperating with the valve to open the same, a lever fulcrumed intermediate its ends to the slide, and balanced springs cooperating with the arms of the lever.

5. The combination with a car truck, of a brake applying device carried thereby, a guide carried by the truck, a slide movable through the guide and operatively connected to the said device, and a spring pressed lever carried by the lower portion of the slide for cooperation with a rail. a

6. The combination with a car truck, of a brake applying device carried thereby, a guide carried by the truck, a slide movable through the said guide and operatively connected to the said device, a lever fulcrumed intermediate its ends to the lower portion of the slide, and balanced springs disposed between the arms of the said lever and the truck. j

7. The combination with a car truck, of a valve carried by the truck and arranged for connection to the train pipe, a guide carried by the truck, a slide movable through said guide and having means cooperating with the said valve to open the same, and a spring pressed lever carried by the lower portion of the slide for cooperation with a rail.

8. The combination with a car truck, of a valve carried by thetruck and arranged for connection. to the train pipe, a guide carried by the truck, a slide movable through said guide and having means cooperating with the said valve to open the same, a lever fulerumed intermediate its ends to the lower portion of the said slide, and balanced springs disposed between the arms of the said lever and the truck.

9. The combination with a car truck, of a valve carried by the truck and arranged for connection to the train pipe, a guide attached to the truck, a slide movable through the said guide, adjustable means carried by the said slide and eooperable with the said valve to open the same, adjustable means for supporting the slide from the guide, and means carried by the lower portion of the slide for cooperating with a rail.

10. The combination with a car truck ineluding a bolster, of guides secured to the sides of the bolster, a U-shaped slide having its arms passing through the said guides, adjustable means for supporting the slide from the guides, a valvecarried by the said bolster and arranged for connection to the train pipe, adjustable means carried by the other arm of the slide and eooperable with the valve to open the same, and means carried by the yoke portion of the slide for cooperation with a rail.

11. The combination with a car truck ineluding a bolster, of a U-shaped slide having its arms slidably carried by the sides of the bolster, a valve carried by the said bolster and arranged for attachment to the train pipe, cooperating means carried by the said slide and valve for opening the valve, a lever fulcrumed intermediate its ends to the yoke portion of the said slide below the bolster, and balanced springs disposed between the arms of the said lever and the bolster.

12. The combination with a car truck, including a bolster, of guides secured to the sides of the bolster, a U-shaped slide having its arms passing through the said guides, adj ustable means for supporting the slide from the guides, a brake applying device carried by the bolster, adjustable means operatively connecting one arm of the slide andthe said device, and means carried by the yoke per tion of the slide for cooperation with a rail.

13. The combination with a car truck, in eluding a bolster, of a U-shaped slide have ing its arms slidably carried by the sides of the bolster, a brake applying device carried by the bolster, means operatively connecting the slide and said device, a lever tulcrumed intermediate its ends to the yoke portion of the slide below the bolster, and balanced springs disposed between the arms of the said lever and the bolster.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aillixcd my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN B. srnvnns.

Witnesses:

SELINA WILLsoN, I. E. Snurson.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each,

by addressing the Commissioner of Patentt,

Washington, D. C. 

